According to the suit, filed Wednesday, the abuse occurred in April 2012, while Dykstra was in jail for grand theft auto and providing a false financial statement. Dykstra alleges that his head was slammed against a wall, knocking out several teeth. He was then allegedly beaten by sheriff’s employees until he was “barely breathing."

The beating allegations arose at a trial in Dec. 2012, when Dykstra was sentenced to six months for bankruptcy fraud. At that time, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said there had been a fight involving Dykstra and some deputies in April and that Dykstra was the aggressor and had to be physically restrained.

Dykstra, now 51, was released from jail last June. He played in the majors for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies from 1985 to 1996.